1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention pertains to laser technology. More particularly, the present invention pertains to the adjusting mechanisms for laser cavity-forming mirrors.
2. The Prior Art
Laser systems employ mirrors for the purpose of defining the laser cavity. At some point in the laser manufacturing operation, the laser cavity is defined by adjusting the cavity-forming mirrors at the proper angle to facilitate lasing. In prior art laser systems known to the inventors, the adjustment of the cavity forming mirror in the laser tube is performed by means of an external member to which the mirror mount is connected. The external member is bent to an orientation which results in the mirror being properly oriented. For instance, in some prior art laser systems, the mirror is mounted on the end of a hollow stem extending from the end of the laser tube. The stem is hollow, providing for the beam path and may be deformed by bending to properly form the laser cavity. In addition, mirror mounts having deformable portions have been fastened to the end of a laser tube. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,998 to Kindi et al.
While prior art mirror adjusting systems have proved to be adequate, there is room for improvement. One disadvantage which is present with respect to the prior art mirror adjusting arrangements is that, because they are externally mounted, they may easily be and often are misaligned by inadvertent touching by human hands or tools. In practice, such accidental misalignment has been known to cause significant problems. In addition, the fact that the mirrors in some of the prior art adjustment schemes are mounted on the end of a stem results in a relatively large bending radius. Therefore, a relatively large mirror is needed and the assembly is much more subject to mechanical vibration caused by the weight of the tubular housing and the small diameter of the stem.